We Like These Underlying Return On Capital Trends At DoubleVerify Holdings (NYSE:DV)

If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in DoubleVerify Holdings' (NYSE:DV) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on DoubleVerify Holdings is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.07 = US$72m ÷ (US$1.1b - US$66m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Thus, DoubleVerify Holdings has an ROCE of 7.0%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Software industry average of 8.9%.

View our latest analysis for DoubleVerify Holdings

Above you can see how the current ROCE for DoubleVerify Holdings compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

What Does the ROCE Trend For DoubleVerify Holdings Tell Us?

While in absolute terms it isn't a high ROCE, it's promising to see that it has been moving in the right direction. The numbers show that in the last four years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 7.0%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 148% more capital is being employed now too. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at DoubleVerify Holdings thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital.

The Bottom Line

All in all, it's terrific to see that DoubleVerify Holdings is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. Since the stock has returned a solid 7.0% to shareholders over the last year, it's fair to say investors are beginning to recognize these changes. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist.

On the other side of ROCE, we have to consider valuation. That's why we have a FREE intrinsic value estimation on our platform that is definitely worth checking out.

While DoubleVerify Holdings may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.